Light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) offer some advantageous over other types of lighting fixtures, such as incandescent and fluorescent lighting fixtures. LED lighting fixtures are generally more energy efficient, have longer operating lives, and contain less harmful products simplifying waste management and recycling requirements. Unlike recessed fixtures in which the light source is an incandescent, fluorescent, or halogen bulb, for example, in recessed fixtures having LEDs as the light source, the heat generated by the LEDs radiates backwards, in the opposite direction of light emission. By contrast, incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen light sources radiate much of the heat away from the fixture, in the same direction as the light radiation. Thus, in fixtures having LEDs, the interior of the enclosure traps the heat radiated backwards by the LEDs, creating a hot environment for the LEDs. LEDs are particularly sensitive to degradation due to excessive heat, and over time, their luminance can degrade, or worse, their lifetime can be drastically reduced when they are exposed to prolonged heat.
Recessed lighting fixtures have been proposed for use with sloped ceilings. In sloped ceilings, the light source must be angled relative to the ceiling so that light radiation can propagate in a desired direction, which typically varies from the sloped angle of the ceiling. What is needed is an adjustable recessed lighting fixture that effectively transfers heat generated by LEDs away from the LEDs to provide a relatively cool environment for the LEDs, thereby prolonging their lifespan and luminosity while allowing the fixture to be installed into different ceilings at various sloped angles relative to horizontal.